A Rose By Any Other Name
by daisyink
Summary: While the team searches for the youkai that injured Yukina, they come across some disturbing information about their friend...Hiei, furious that Yukina got hurt, haunts the city, occasionally providing them with his assistance. Now Kurama's past has come
1. Default Chapter

A Rose By Any Other Name 

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Summary: When Yukina gets badly hurt by an unknown demon, Kurama tries to reach out to Hiei and help him. As they search for the elusive demon they learn more about their teammates' past- and it's not good. Will they be able to handle it when, finding the demon, they get even more surprises?

Hey people! I'm back, and better than ever I've been trying to come up with a fic that has more plot than the feeling-y stuff that I usually write (lol). I hope you like it! The ".." at the beginning and end of certain words mean it's part of the poem.

* * *

Kurama watched in horror as he and his teammates approached the bloodsoaked Yukina, lying painfully on the cavern floor. Tensely he glanced at Hiei, awaiting his reaction, before he realized that Hiei could do nothing with Kuwabara with them. Yusuke was the first to break the unbearable silence.

"What the hell happened here! I thought we were just doing a routine grounds check." He said, his eyes slightly averted to check Hiei's reaction to this sudden turn of events. He, however, was disappointed, as Hiei continued to do nothing.

But as Kurama continued to watch Hiei, he saw a brief shadow of grief in Hiei's face- his eyes had darkened slightly, but in a second, it was gone. Hiei just stared impassively at his sister's limp body, waiting for them to do what they needed to. Kuwabara's reaction was the most surprising; for once silent, he was staring at Yukina's bloodstained face, the shine of tears in his eyes. The grief Kurama could see in his face was almost more than he could bear. It was Kurama who spoke next, issuing what they should do.

"We should tell Koenma about this. He'll be able to clue us in as to what happened, and he'll also send Botan here to help her." He said in his calm voice. Now, more than ever, he needed to stay focused; whoever had done this, he was sure, would soon be back for more.

Yusuke contacted Koenma, urging the young Prince to hurry; Yukina's motionless form looked less alive the more time passed.

Botan arrived around 20 minutes later, red cheeked and out of breath. Her mouth became a large 'O' of surprise as soon as she saw the ice maiden, and quickly went to her. As Botan did her work, Kuwabara lingered over her, quietly watching. His eyes followed her every movement, as if making sure himself that Botan was doing what she was supposed to. It was perhaps Kuwabara's silence that unnerved all of them the most, for the rest of the team gave him room and chose to sit quietly to the side.

Finally, after an agonizing wait, Botan came over and addressed the whole team. Her voice was solemn, yet not completely resigned. Maybe there was still hope.

"She's pretty badly hurt. Her injuries are unlike anything I've ever seen before. The physical wounds aren't that serious, but for some reason I can't easily stop the bleeding," she said officially, adding, "It looks like there's going to be some side effects to the wounds after they heal, though I'm not quite sure what."

Her last statement intrigued Kurama. "Side effects? How can you tell?"

Botan looked uncomfortable. "Well," she started, "there's a bit of discoloration in the skin, and her blood smells..." she drifted off, apparently not quite sure how to say it.

"What?" Kurama prodded.

Botan sighed. "Her blood smelled tainted. Like there's a chemical that's not supposed to be there."

"It's not fatal," she added quickly, seeing the looks on their faces, "but it could affect her in some way. In the meantime, all we can do is bring her somewhere safe and do the best we can to heal her injuries."

Everyone nodded, and Yusuke volunteered to bring Yukina to Genkai's temple. Carrying Yukina, he was about to leave when he felt Hiei's hand on his shoulder.

"Let me take her." Hiei said in a low voice. His eyes were lost in the shadows.

Yusuke sensed that Hiei somehow needed to do this, and so he gave Yukina to her brother without much fuss. As soon as Hiei had her in his arms, he flitted out the cavern entrance, and all Yusuke could see was a black blur.

"Good luck," he whispered, "and please let her get better. Or else we may never see the same Hiei again."

With that, he said good-bye to his teammates and left for home.

(Scene change)

As Hiei flitted through the trees, a thousand questions ran through his mind.

_Why Yukina? And what is it in her blood that's going to affect her?_

But the biggest question in his mind was: _Who did it?_

Just the thought of the youkai who did this to his sister, whoever he was, was enough for his ki to rise unnaturally.

Whoever hurt my sister, I'm going to find him, he swore to himself. No matter the cost.

(At Genkai's temple)

Kurama approached Genkai's temple, minutes before Hiei arrived. Stationing himself in the corner of the main room, he waited for Hiei to come in.

Hiei knocked loudly on Genkai's door, impatient. Didn't the old lady know this was important? Seconds later, Genkai appeared in the doorway. Seeing Yukina's unconscious form in Hiei's arms, she quickly assessed the situation and issued directions.

"Go to the second room on your right; it's got a bed ready and a first aid kit, just in case. Put her on the bed and come to the main room. I'll take care of your sister."

Grunting in response, Hiei shuffled to the room, taking in the clean surroundings. Gently he lay Yukina on the bed, covering her with the soft sheets and tenderly moving her hair away from her face. Moving towards the door, he took one last look at her before he left for the main room.

When he saw Kurama in the room, standing in the shadows, there was little surprise in his face. He'd felt Kurama's ki close behind him when he was halfway to the temple. No doubt to offer him 'support'.

..Watching you, I've made it clear  
I seek not your attention..

"What do you want, fox?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

Kurama moved toward him and said softly, "What are you going to do?"

..your care, your kindness...  
all I want..

Slightly taken aback that Kurama hadn't wanted to talk about 'feelings' after all, Hiei answered without thinking, "I'm going to find whoever did this to her."

Kurama smiled without humor. "And how, pray tell, are you going to do that?" He said easily, his voice faintly mocking.

"I don't know yet. Ask for Koenma's help, track the demon's energy...Whatever it takes." Hiei replied heatedly, glaring at the fox.

"Why didn't you do anything, Hiei?" Kurama said, his voice sad. "Yukina is your sister, and all you did was stand watch and follow orders. I thought you cared about her."

"..I..." Hiei was speechless. Hadn't he told the fox before? He didn't want anyone else to know. It would only complicate her life more. He thought Kurama understood that.

..is for you to accept that I am here- a teammate,  
a companion, even a friend..

"I know you're going to look for that demon, Hiei. From the look of things, he's pretty clever, if not powerful."

"Just what are you saying?" Hiei challenged.

"I'm saying," Kurama retorted, "that you're going to need help."

"I don't need help." Hiei's voice indicated that the subject was closed, but Kurama wouldn't let him brush him off that easily.

..but don't think I'll always be there.  
when you call..

"Look, Hiei, whether you like it or not, you can't take that demon on your own. I'm your friend, and friends help each other. I know you're going to need me." Kurama said, his voice softly persuading.

Hiei's eyes grew hard, and he stiffened.

"What, now you think we're 'friends'?" he practically spat out. "Just because we're teammates, just because occasionally, I confide in you, does not mean we are friends. You may be 'friends' with Yusuke and that idiot, but don't suck me into your ningen delusions, Kurama."

..I'll come when I please, kitsune, whether you like it or not and if you try to stop me I'll-  
well, just don't try.  
You may have gained some of my trust but it doesn't mean anything more..

Kurama's eyes widened slightly. "What are you saying?" he whispered.

"I'm saying.." Hiei said slowly, "I. don't. need. you."

..Don't you understand, Kurama?  
Just let me go- don't you know,  
that I've lived this long without you?..

And Hiei was gone.

Kurama stood there, his feelings hurt in more ways than one. Hiei's statement, if taken literally, would've meant he hadn't needed Kurama for that particular mission, but he had a feeling that his statement meant more than that. It meant, at least to Kurama, that Hiei was slowly distancing himself from his newfound, 'almost' friends, building an invisible wall between himself and others. And tonight, the first piece had been put into place.

(Scene change: Hiei POV)

Hiei flitted from one tree to another, his ki rising and falling inconsistently due to his shaken emotions. His sister attacked by an unknown, powerful demon...Kurama springing that 'friends thing on him...it was too much. Too much!

His ki rose dangerously at his sudden burst of anger, and he fought to lower it. It wouldn't do for him to lose control, not now. Not when his sister needed him. With that thought in mind, Hiei set out for the Spirit World.

..I don't need your understanding,  
I don't need your sympathy,

just.  
leave.  
me.  
alone..

..to be continued..

* * *

Awww...! Poor Hiei...I'm already working on the next chapter, so please be patient, it'll get better as you read more.

Ja ne,  
Eblis


	2. A New Development

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! 

I know the first chapter didn't reveal much, but I guess most first chapters are like that, to start you off. Anyway in this one a lot more will be revealed about the 'mysterious' killer.

Thank you so, so much for all the people who reviewed! You don't know how much I appreciate it.

* * *

After Hiei left, it was too late to go home so Kurama spent the night at Genkai's. The next day, Yusuke rang to let him know that the team was going to the Spirit World to talk to Koenma. Telling Yusuke that he would be there, Kurama got ready for the trip, feeling uncomfortable because he would have to see Hiei there. After last night, he wasn't feeling too confident about talking to the fire demon again. 

"Thank you for letting me stay, Genkai. I'm going to Koenma's office now, so I'll see you later!" he said hurriedly, practically running out the door.

When Kurama arrived at Spirit World he noticed that Yusuke and Kuwabara were the only ones there. The two stood up as soon as he got in. Kuwabara, he noticed, wasn't saying much, nor was he his usual cheerful self. This event has affected all of us, but Kuwabara most of all, he thought. With the exception of her brother...

"We couldn't find Hiei at such short notice, so we have to go on without him." Yusuke explained, look none too pleased with the idea. "Koenma said there isn't any time to spare, so you'll have to tell him the details later."

"Does he know who the demon is?" Kurama asked.

Koenma answered the question himself. "Yes, although we don't exactly know his name. He's infamous in the Makai, apparently, and he's been responsible for a large number of rather- unusual deaths."

"Unusual? As in?" Yusuke inquired.

Koenma shrugged. "Unusual meaning the bodies were so unrecognizable, we couldn't figure out what had been done to them."

Yusuke winced. "Sorry I asked."

"What does he look like?" Kurama said.

Koenma showed them a picture of the alleged demon. He was tall and lithe, and he had a catlike grace about him. His hair was just past his shoulder, and silky, tied loosely at the back of his neck by a simple cord. His eyes were a dark, sparkling green. He wore slim fitting black silk pants and a a flowing silk shirt, topped off with slim black boots, a black choker, and several earrings in each ear. The demon's nails were long and deadly.

Near the back of the room, Kuwabara gasped, and Yusuke swore. They couldn't put their finger on what was so upsetting about the sight of the demon, but it seemed everyone in the room was disturbed by the picture. Kurama, in particular, had to fight back a shudder of revulsion. The man's appearance and character reminded him, painfully, of the time that the sadistic demon Karasu was a threat to him. He could not help but feel that this demon would have the same sick, distorted view of the world that Karasu had.

"What can he do?" Yusuke asked, his voice barely audible.

Koenma shifted through the papers on his desk, looking for the particular file. "Aha!" he announced when he finally found it. "Let's see...it seems to me he is a spell-type demon of some sort. It says over here that he has 'uncanny knowledge of powerful incantations, spells, and potions', whatever that means."

Yusuke groaned. "C'mon, Koenma, we can't get him with just that. Spells? Potions? That's too vague! For all we know the guy could be making horses out of mice or something."

Koenma sighed. "I know it's not a lot to go on, but that only means you have to be more cautious. This guy is dangerous; as all of you probably noticed, he doesn't seem very right in the head. Potions can be made to do almost anything, remember."

Kurama could feel something wrong in the information that Koenma had given them. Something important. But he couldn't figure out what it was.

Sighing, frustrated, Kurama got up. "I'm sorry, you guys, but I'm really tired right now. I think it's time for me to go home. I'll check in on you later." With that, Kurama exited, the burning feeling of wrongness still in his chest.

Yusuke stared after Kurama's retreating form, a frown on his face. "What's wrong with him?"

Koenma shrugged. Kurama was Kurama, after all; there were no explanations for his behavior. He was sure, however, that whatever Kurama did would only help them in the long run. "I don't know where he's off to, but it'll probably help us, either with this case or finding Hiei."

Yusuke nodded, signaled to Kuwabara, and the two former delinquents left, already starting to plan how they would find that demon. Outside Koenma's office, they met Botan, who was also helping them with this case. The people of Spirit World were anxious to get the person caught, and the more of their associates working on it, the better. Let's hope that all of us together will be enough for that demon, Yusuke thought grimly.

Meanwhile, as the trio wandered the streets for signs of the demon's whereabouts, Kurama walked aimlessly through the city, trying to settle his confused thoughts. He was worried about Hiei. surely, and where he was; but Hiei was fully capable of taking care of himself. The only real concern was if Hiei would come back. What Kurama's thoughts were on may have been much more dangerous- he was thinking of the demon who'd injured Yukina.

_Why did he go for Yukina,_ he wondered.

_She's certainly no threat to him. Her powers are merely limited to healing, and although they are valuable talents, he can't possibly have any use for them, if he is really the clever potions master Koenma says he is._

_But then,_ Kurama thought suddenly, _Yukina hadn't been injured by spells or poison- her body was bloody that night, I remember, and there were gashes along her body. If he was merely a potion-making youkai, why would he waste his time wounding her physically when he could have easily killed her with one of his concoctions?  
Kurama furrowed his brow. He was missing something. Something incredibly important. And then it hit him-_

_He wants us to think he is a potions master! But he can't be, if he did that to Yukina- that means..._

Kurama frowned, thinking hard.

He's setting them up! He knew that Hiei and I would figure it out, and now he's waiting for Yusuke and Kuwabara to find him!

Kurama began running, frantically trying to sense his friends' Spirit Energy.

_Inari, please, don't let me be too late,_ he prayed.

* * *

Just a few blocks away, Hiei was sitting on a tree, brooding. He was in an especially bad mood. Not only because his sister was hurt, but because he had the nagging feeling that something from his past was about to haunt him- hurting Yukina in the process. And to add to that, when he'd tried to get to the Spirit World, his stomach had growled miserably, reminding him that his last meal had been well over 20 hours ago. 

Oh _yes_, he was _pissed_.

Hiei knew that some demon from his old life was probably behind it- hungry for revenge of some sort, no doubt. Just the thought of some snarling demon, crazed for revenge against him, laying his hands on his innocent sister was enough to make his blood boil. He'd realized this as soon as he saw the marks on the Ice Maiden's body, and he disappeared quickly after that. He felt that it was his problem to solve, and he needn't trouble the team with it.

Besides, the incident had reminded him how dangerous it was to make friends when he was- well, himself. He had too many old enemies for them not to get hurt.

_I'll look for that demon myself_, he promised. _And then I'll disappear from everyone's lives._

With that thought in his mind, the second piece in the wall he'd started building between himself and his friends was now set in place.

* * *

"Who the hell are you!" Yusuke yelled angrily, his arms bound to the cavern walls by thick vines. Kuwabara stood next to him, just as tightly bound, glaring furiously at the demon in front of him. 

You could see in the teen's eyes how badly he wanted to kill the demented demon in front of him, for attacking Yukina, and capturing he and his friends, as well. Botan had been able to escape before they'd encountered him; when they'd found the suspicious looking cave, she'd flown off to report to Koenma. Hopefully, she would realize the situation and send for help soon.

The demon stood before them lazily, his mouth closed but his sparkling green eyes smirking.

"Don't worry Yusuke, you'll find out soon enough. After all," he said, his voice full of muffled laughter, "the fun is just beginning."

Yusuke shuddered hatefully at the youkai who so resembled the hated Karasu. "You'll pay for this," he hissed.

The demon's eyes gleamed. "I'm looking forward to it," he practically purred in Yusuke's ear.

Yusuke felt his spine tingling unpleasantly. He knew that the worst was yet to come- and probably reserved for Hiei and Kurama.

_Kurama, he thought desperately, please, please don't find us._ Seconds later, he passed out from lack of circulation. His eyes closed to the sight of the demon laughing gleefully, and then all he saw was black.

* * *

...to be continued...

Whew...I'm sorry I haven't been able to update for a while but my e-mail got totally messed up and all my fics were in there so...you get the picture. Please review!

-Eblis


	3. In Which You Learn More

**Name: **A Rose By Any Other Name  
**Author: **Eblis the Violet  
**Rating: **PG  
**Note: **Yes! Finally, a new chapterI know it's been a long wait, and I took way too much time, but please excuse my laziness. It took a long time for me to write this chapter, because I needed to really sit down and think about where this is heading. Well, I have a pretty clear idea of the plot now, so to make up for my laziness, I wrote an extra long chapter! Well...it's not _that _long it you compare it to other (better) fics...but it's longer than the previous two chapters, _together_. Anyway, if you want a summary of what happened earlier in the story, here it is: Yukina is hurt by an unknown demon; the detectives set out to find him; Yusuke and Kuwabara are kidnapped; Hiei deals with some issues. What's going on! XDDD When I started this, it was actually going on a whole different direction, but I'm happy with what I'm going to do. Happy reading!  
**To those who reviewed:** Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know I don't have many reviews (I never do...XD), you are what keeps me going and inspires me to write more. I could _not _have done it without you!

And now, on with the fic!

* * *

Kurama panted heavily and kneeled over, fighting for breath. He tried to sense Yusuke or Kuwabara's energy, and was relieved to find that they were not a long way off. _Just hold on, you guys._

Meanwhile, the two detectives' situation had only gotten worse, if that were even possible. Yusuke, as exhausted as he was, had finally passed out, and Kuwabara was left to fend for both of them. Swearing under his breath, he knew instinctively that he would not be able to take the demon down alone; even if he'd managed to, in his haggard state by the time the demon would have fallen, Kuwabara would likely be in a similar state of health.

The demon smirked from the shadowy corner in which he was standing. "A little preoccupied there, aren't you, Kuwabara?"

Kuwabara started; _How does he know my name?_

"I can see your little friend there is not exactly…conscious," he continued silkily, eyeing Yusuke with obvious distaste, "but I wonder…" he trailed off, moving forward, "why aren't you unconscious, as well?"

Kuwabara stared at him in disbelief. Here he was thinking the guy was about to say something _important. What the hell is this guy thinking? He almost seems as if he _wants _me to survive…or something._

He heard a soft 'ahem' coming from the general direction of the demon.Glancing up, he realized with a start that he still hadn't answered the youkai's question, too caught up in his thoughts.

"Why would you care?" he retorted, his tone harsher than he'd intended.

The youkai had the nerve to actually look surprised; he appeared to choose his next words carefully, seeming almost tentative when he finally spoke.

"Wasn't that…girl, the ice maiden, your mate or something?" he uttered softly, his eyes not containing any scorn or disdain, as Kuwabara would have thought. Instead, they were simply filled with an almost innocent curiosity.

"Well...yes," Kuwabara finally admitted, wondering why in the heck he was saying this, and to _that _demon, "but she doesn't exactly see me as that. The Koorime don't really know anything about love or relationships," and at this his voice took on a flat tone, "she merely sees me as a companion, albeit a very strange one." So lost was he in his thoughts that he failed to notice who he was talking to; after an uncomfortable silence he looked up and realized that he'd said too much. This demon was his captor, for Enma's sake; inwardly Kuwabara cursed his stupidity. He was fully prepared to see in the demon's eyes a sinister realization of some sort, or maybe a malicious glee, but in the demon's green eyes all he saw were sympathy and a vague…understanding? Blinking, he looked again, and this time all he saw was the color green, before he felt a blunt pain in the back of his head and his mind giving in to the dark…

Hiei stood in silent horror at the mouth of the cave, as he saw the alleged demon hit Kuwabara in the back of his head. Watching, he could see that it had been a blunt object of some sort, clearly intended to cause unconsciousness, not death. Privately Hiei breathed a sigh of relief; he may have disliked the oaf, but he didn't deserve what Hiei'd thought was going to happen to him.

Inching closer, Hiei took a more detailed look at the cave. At the far right was a small pot held above a fire, obviously the source of their food; close to that was a pile of cloth, assumed to be the demon's sleeping area; and finally, in the middle of the right of the cave were two chains, of which Kuwabara and Yusuke were attached, fastened to the stone wall. It was crude, he supposed, but the location was hard to find and the forest camouflage made it almost impossible to make out a cave entrance, if any. That the demon had even been able to find a place like this was quite unbelievable, as Makai forest were notorious for their eerily placed hideouts, the cause for many a lost demon.

Inching toward the cave's entrance, Hiei flattened himself against the wall and slowly lost himself to the shadows. Grimly he watched the demon, his dislike for him (or was it her?—it was a bit hard to tell) growing with each second. "Kuso," he muttered, wincing painfully when he stepped on a particularly sharp stone. Finding a small corner in which he could be sufficiently hidden, he waited. For some strange reason, he didn't think that he would be able to defeat this demon alone. He'd have to wait for Yusuke and the oaf to wake up—either that, or wait for Kurama to come to the rescue. Neither option appealed to him much.

Settling down on the floor, Hiei prepared himself for a long night. _What did I get myself into? _He thought, sighing. _Kurama had better get here soon. He's better at this sneaking around business than I am. _

Wordlessly, he decided to observe as much of the guilty demon as he could—he could not be sure that a fight was in store or not. After a couple of minutes, Hiei yawned widely—he'd forgotten that he'd barely gotten more than 2 hours' sleep last night. Too busy worrying about Yukina and his teammates, he had not bothered to get more rest, a decision he regretted immediately. He wanted to be fully capable of a long, drawn out fight, if the occasion warranted it, and it was possible that it would. Fighting the sudden heaviness on his eyelids, his eyes opened and shut, until finally, his body gave way to sleep.

Outside, there was a slight rustling, and muffled curses. Luckily, the demon had not been paying attention, for if he had, he would've known that barely 20 feet from the cave's entrance was none other than Kurama himself, out of breath but more than ready for a fight. Peering carefully into the cave, he saw the unconscious forms of Kuwabara and Yusuke first, and, after making sure that they were alive, he observed the demon that had caused them so much trouble.

Lithe and pale, the picture they'd seen in Koenma's office had not done him justice; his long, ebony hair was so black that it seemed to absorb colors rather than reflect them; his eyes were sparkling and more intense than any shade of green; his skin was paler than marble and completely flawless. And yet, despite his beauty, he would not have been considered attractive, at least, not on human standards. His eyes were surprisingly cold despite their wholesome color, and he moved with the precision and sureness of one who thought himself above others. The malice that was carefully hidden beneath his calm features did not escape Kurama; and for a second, their eyes met, in one breathtakingly tense moment, and then it was gone. Kurama gasped inhaled sharply, wondering if it had been his imagination. If the demon had indeed seen him, he thought, than he surely would have done something by then.

Briefly considering the situation, Kurama thought it best to alert Yusuke and Kuwabara of his presence, but he could not think of a way to wake them without catching the demon's attention. _How can I be expected to control this situation, _Kurama thought, frustrated, _when two of my teammates are unconscious, and one is avoiding me? _Shaking his head, he knew that there was another reason he was so hesitant: The demon not only _looked _dangerous, but he smelled of it, too. In addition, Kurama had the strangest feeling that he'd known this demon before, and he had a feeling that if they were to meet again, it would not be for idle chat. More than likely, the demon was out for one thing: _revenge._ Kurama settled farther into the shadows, too confused to make another move. He was so preoccupied, in fact, that he failed to notice the pair of blood red eyes sleepily staring at him from the corner of the cave.

After a few hours' sleep, Hiei had finally woken up. Startled by a vague rustling, he had opened one bleary eye open, and he'd immediately remembered his surroundings. Silently cursing his carelessness, he looked around curiously to see if the detectives had woken. When he saw that they were still sleeping, he sighed disappointedly. He wondered vaguely if he would have to wait the whole night for Kurama to arrive, when he caught a flash of red—blinking, he wondered if his lack of sleep had caused him to get hallucinations. He could've sworn he'd seen Kurama—

There! He could see him—the stupid fox was biting his lip, apparently worrying about what he had to do. Shaking his head disgustedly, he let Kurama continue thinking, opting to watch what the fox would do.

After a few minutes' time, Hiei was practically snarling. After moments of contemplation, Kurama, supposedly the _smart _one of their little team had retreated to the darkness, choosing to do absolutely _nothing. _Hiei was going out of his mind. Deciding that watching Kurama was a waste of his time, Hiei went back to sleep—if anything were to happen to Yusuke or Kuwabara, he would hear it. Within seconds, Hiei's breathing had slowed; a sure sign that he was asleep.

Kurama stayed where he was several moments, feeling extremely foolish. He was sure that it would have been smarter to try and attempt a rescue, but his mind simply wouldn't let him; he was too afraid of what would happen if the demon recognized him. Perhaps this kind of thinking is proof that Kurama wasn't himself—if that demon had known him in his life as a youko, then it would be unlikely that he would be recognized in Shuichi's body.

Imagine his surprise when he saw none other than Hiei himself, picking himself up from a small corner of the cave and yawning widely. Kurama was furious with himself. Had I been so preoccupied, he wondered, that I didn't even notice Hiei's ki? And when he was sleeping, unguarded, too! Kurama shook his head in disgust.

But then, he realized that Hiei being there meant he was no longer obligated to do any rescuing, and would therefore not have to show himself to the demon.

_Thank Inari for small miracles, _he thought with a sigh.

"It's about time you got here," the demon greeted Hiei without turning around, causing Hiei to freeze in mid-action. "I was wondering if you were ever going to get up. Nice nap?" the demon continued further in a light voice, turning to face Hiei with a slight smirk.

Hiei growled in response. "Let them go," he said in a low voice, his eyes smoldering.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the demon replied cheerfully. "You see, I need to keep them as hostages," and this he said in a mock pleading voice, "just a little bit longer?"

"And why do you think I would let you do that?" Hiei snarled in response, fists clenching.

The demon in question looked delighted. "You mean your little fox friend didn't tell you?" he asked gleefully.

Hiei looked confused. "Kurama told me what?"

"Aha!" the demon cried. "So you _do _know Kurama! That's great—for a minute there I thought I'd found the wrong human."

Hiei had had enough. Starting to uncover his Jagan, he hissed, "Listen, you worthless bag of bones, if you don't tell me what you want with Kurama, you are going to be a very sorry pile of ash."

"Tsk, tsk, temper, Hiei." He admonished with a smile. "Don't you want to know a bit more about your old friend? Surely you didn't think he was always as sweet as he is now. He _was _Youko Kurama, you know."

Hiei looked affronted. "Whatever he was then, it's none of my business anyway. Besides, I could care less. I just wanna finish this case and take a nap." With that, Hiei busily prepared to unlock the chains that held Yusuke and Kuwabara to the wall. He was so absorbed in his task, in fact, that he was startled to hear the demon's low voice right behind him.

"Are you quite sure about that, Hiei? What if I told you that…if Kurama hadn't done something he did, you would still have your precious sister," and at this Hiei tensed in anger, "by your side, healthy and happy?"

"And what if," he continued on, moving to Hiei's side, "I told you that if certain events, caused by Kurama himself had not happened, you would not be ashamed of telling her that her brother is right in front of her? What would you say to that?" he mocked, his eyes hard as steel.

Hiei turned slowly around, his words carefully contained. "I would say," he started, his voice trembling slightly with anger, "that what you're saying is a load of bull." But the last three words had faltered, and the demon knew that the first seeds of doubt had been planted. His lips curled into a smile.

_Perfect. _

"Whatever you say." He replied easily, a perfect picture of indifference. Behind him, he could hear Hiei grit his teeth.

_It's so easy to manipulate demons, as long as you know how. _The demon smirked.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them, in which Hiei seemed to be considering his words. He sighed dully, waiting for Hiei to speak. When he finally did, it was in a low, measured tone.

"What if—I'm willing to listen to your story?" he said slowly. "Not that," he added quickly, "I would believe you, or anything."  
"But of course," the demon said, idly examining his nails. "Would you like me to tell you now?"

Hiei nodded. He hesitated for a moment, than said, "First, I want to know your name. You already know mine—it's only fair you tell me yours."

"Since when has the real world been fair?" the demon replied lightly. Seeing Hiei's glare, he sighed. "All right, all right, I'll tell you my name. My name—," he hesitated slightly, before continuing, "My name is Rin."

Hiei's eyes widened in surprise. "Isn't Rin a female name?" he inquired, face still screwed up in a puzzled expression.

"Yes," Rin said, rather stiffly, "most of the demons in my tribe were female. They didn't really know what kind of name to give a male, so…" he shrugged in a kind of hopeless embarrassment.

Hiei chuckled in a low voice, but immediately quelled it when he realized how he'd been behaving toward the demon—this _Rin_—why, he'd even been acting _friendly. _Hiei shook his head slightly, deciding that he spent way too much time with that dratted fox—he was starting to slip and act almost human. The thought alone made him shudder.

Rin's insulted look brought him back to reality. "Is my name so repulsive that it makes you shudder?" he demanded, flushing.

Hiei looked at him in astonishment. Examining him thoughtfully, he spoke in a voice much softer than his usual growl, saying, "I wasn't shuddering because of your name. I would never do that. I was just remembering some…unpleasant memories."

Rin nodded slowly, still looking a bit suspicious, but said no more, instead gesturing for Hiei to follow him to a corner of the cave. Walking behind Rin, Hiei resigned himself to act less frivolously; he had known this demon's name five minutes, and already he was practically spilling his secrets! Hiei knew he was overreacting, but that was how he felt, as he didn't trust people—demons especially—and acting in such a casual manner around Rin made him nervous. _I'm not going to let this one demon turn me into some emotional human lover like Kurama. _

He didn't believe in his own words, but for now, it was easier to lie to himself, easier to hide than to admit that he wanted to know, more than anything, how the demon knew Kurama.

_Are Kurama's ningen emotions really starting to affect me like this? _He wondered. Shrugging it aside, he continued following Rin, stopping in front of what looked suspiciously like a smoking cauldron.

"You're not really some kind of spell-caster, are you?" he asked in disbelief. Rin chuckled at Hiei's expression.

"You don't expect me to answer that, do you?" he said in an airy tone, examining the contents of several jars.

Hiei didn't respond; he was too busy eyeing the various jars if ingredients around the 'cauldron' with an expression resembling revulsion. "What is _that_?" he asked, pointing to a particularly vile-looking jar, its ingredients looking disturbingly like demon organs.

Rin didn't appear to hear him, for he was too busy searching among the various jars. Hiei watched him apprehensively for several minutes until he emerged, holding not some kind of bizarre magical ingredient, as Hiei would have expected, but a large, dusty looking leather book. "Yes!" Rin said happily. "I've found it, finally!"

"Found what?" Hiei said eagerly—he'd forgotten that he was supposed to act like a cold, emotionless jerk—staring at the book curiously, he read the letters: _Makai Tales and Legends._

"You were looking for a _fairy tale _book?" he said in a harsh tone.

"Of course not!" Rin said, smiling as if he knew something Hiei didn't, something that infuriated Hiei to no end—after all, Rin _did_ know something he didn't; else he wouldn't even be having the conversation.

"What is it, then?"

"You wanted to tell you my story—so I'm going to. It's all in here," Rin said, patting the book fondly.

Hiei opened his mouth to say something nasty, but apparently thought better of it. Defeated, he crossed his arms. "Get on with it, then," he said, sounding like a five year old who was being forced to eat his vegetables.

Rin hid his smile and opened the book slowly, eyes scouring the pages hungrily, even though he'd been through it a hundred times. _To think, a simple ningen book—for children, of all things—would contain so many demons' tales and woes. And mine, as well…_

He finally reached the page he'd been looking for; the edges were frayed and tattered, as if they'd been turned countless times—the writing was faint, and the pages yellow. It was a story—_his _story—a story of all the pain he'd had to go through. And it was all that wretched youko's fault.

His eyes burned with anger for a moment, but at the sound of Hiei's sigh, he relaxed. _This is all for a good cause, _he reminded himself. _You'll finally find him again, and you can finish what you started. _

With that satisfying thought, he ran his hands over the page once more, and began to read.

Kurama sat up with a start. _Where am I? _He thought vaguely. Screwing his face up in concentration, he remembered faintly seeing Hiei's eyes across the cave—wait…cave…demons…and in a rush, all of it came back to him: the demon taking Yusuke and Kuwabara hostage, him hiding from the demon that reminded him of his painful past…and Hiei. _Did I really fall asleep again? _He asked himself, feeling slightly put out. _I wonder what's happened since I fell asleep, _he thought, yawning as he stretched. He froze mid-stretch when he heard the demon's voice. Concentrating hard, he could only make out a few words, and he could make no sense of them—the demon's tone, however, sounded as if he were telling a story to someone…_Is that demon actually talking to Hiei? _He wondered. _Oh, Inari…I can only imagine what kinds of things that demon might know about me. I _do _hope Hiei has enough sense not to take it too seriously…That was a long time ago, after all…_

Suddenly finding his eyelids drooping, he stifled a yawn, realizing that he was more tired than he'd thought. _Oh well, _he thought sleepily, all foreboding thoughts cast aside. _I guess I'll just explain later yawn I'll just take…a little…nap…_

Back in the cave, unbeknownst to Kurama _or _Hiei, the demon Rin smiled a little, a look of triumph flashing briefly through his eyes. _It's working, _he thought giddily. _It's actually working! I'm going to get that stupid fox—once and for all. _His eyes gleamed, and he laughed silently. Who would've known that the potion he'd worked on for so long, that had taken so much work to create, would work so perfectly? He shook his head ruefully. _These people really are idiots, trusting me like this, and not doing anything. _

Hiei grunted to his right, reminding him that he had paused in between his reading. "Sorry," he muttered to Hiei, who nodded.

Clearing his throat, he started from the beginning…

_In the Makai, there were demons of all sorts; some primitive, others weak, and a few…deadly. Youkai are often animal-like in appearance, but those who rose and grew in power also grew in appearance. They would gain the appearance of being human, with some select exceptions—a fox tail, a cat ear, fangs…And, even among these elite few, there would be those with even more power—and beauty. Youko was one of these. Cunning and devious, he was a thief, specializing in breaking locks and codes. Infamous in the demon world for his skills, even more renowned was his beauty—flowing silver hair, piercing golden eyes, pale, luminescent skin, and a long, lithe body. Many sought after him. But, like a fox, he was elusive—always barely escaping a demon's grasp. One demon in particular almost succeeded—his name was Rin. The story begins on a cold, cloudy day…_

All of this was said slowly, carefully, as if the words were precious to him; his face was lowered, making his expression impossible to read. Briefly, Hiei wondered what this could possibly have to do with Rin kidnapping his friends.

Rin had paused after uttering the last sentence, and he had a faraway look in his eyes; when, after a considerable silence, he'd resumed reading, his voice had taken on a low, dreamy quality, quite unlike his usual voice.

_Youko was beautiful, cunning, and extremely vain; he could have any demon he chose, and he knew it. _

Hiei blinked in an astonished manner, for when Rin had said the last word, his voice had become steely and tinged with bitterness. _I'd never have guessed that they used to be involved…romantically. But, _he thought offhandedly, _I haven't really given much thought to Kurama's love life, have I? _

_It's strange, _he mused further, _how I can forget what a heartbreaker Kurama once was, but never once did I forget about his past misdeeds. I cared more about his thieving skills than anything else. _

_Rin is probably just another lover, hungry for revenge after Kurama had done with him. _Hiei wondered why he felt sorry for Rin and not any of the other lovers Kurama had left with their hearts broken.

Rin paused in his reading and looked at Hiei thoughtfully. "What are you thinking about?" he said, his voice retaining its usual carefree quality.

Hiei didn't move. "Nothing," he replied in a tone that clearly indicated he was thinking anything but that. Rin surprised himself by not prying further; normally he would have thought nothing of delving into someone else's deepest fears or regrets. It was, in fact, something that normally gave him much pleasure. _What the heck is wrong with me?_

"Are you ready to hear more, then?" he asked cheerfully, thumbing through the book in a gesture of carelessness.

"Hm…?" Hiei said, looking distracted. "Sure."

Nodding solemnly in a mocking gesture, Rin turned the pages once more and began to read, not before spotting a waking Kurama in the corner of the cave. _Ah, _he thought amusedly, _the great Youko Kurama fell asleep. _He snickered silently. _It's just as well—we're just now getting to the important part, anyway. _"Ready?" he asked Hiei, who nodded.

Taking a deep breath, he began to read. Hiei closed his eyes and drank in the words.

_It all started with a mistake, _Rin recited, his voice once again taking on a dreamy quality. _The Youko, on a thieving 'expedition', had forgotten to check the wards on the door—before he knew what was happening, he was caught by another demon. The demon was Rin, who had long, sleek black hair, deep green eyes, and the same flawless skin and figure that made Youko famous. The connection was immediate. Looking at the two, they were perfect opposites of each other; Youko with his icy demeanor and poise and Rin with his warm, sensuous aura. They were the sun and moon; yin and yang; black and white. _

_They were destined to be together._

At this, Rin's voice became slightly choked with barely suppressed tears; Hiei, out of courtesy, pretended not to notice, and waited patiently for Rin to continue. Taking deep, controlled, breaths, Rin resumed his reading, his voice clear but slightly less sure.

_The air between them was crackling; their energy bounced off of each other, and their gazes never strayed from one another's faces. And then, slowly, as if time had stopped, Rin smiled. And Youko smiled back. _

_Neither knew that they would both leave, their wills tattered and their soul weary, not only each other, but their hearts. _

Rin took a deep, shaky breath, and said, in a trembling voice, "I'm…not sure if I c-can…read…this…"

Hiei nodded, understanding. "You can lie down, if you want. I can read the rest."

Rin smiled weakly, grateful, and lay down, his breathing deep and slightly labored. Hiei glanced at him wearily, one last time, before he turned to the book. Taking a deep breath, he wondered why he was so afraid of finding out the contents of that particular story.

_Maybe you want to keep believing that Kurama's some kind of angel sent by God—you don't want to admit that he's a demon, just like you, _his conscience said, rising, unbidden, in the back of his mind. Hiei shook his head, and resolved to open the book.

Taking a final, shuddering breath, flicked through the pages, and began to read.

_**.To be continued**_


	4. Potions and things

**Title: **A Rose By Any Other Name  
**Author: **Eblis the Violet  
**Rating: **PG  
**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
**A/N: **Finally, a new chapter! I know it took a while; I seem to have a bad habit of losing interest in a fic for a few weeks, and then starting again. Anyway, this new chapter is pretty long (over 5,000 words- yay!) and hopefully you guys will like it.

* * *

A few feet away, in a small, dark corner, Kurama gasped, eyes shooting open. "_Rin,_" he whispered, his eyes filled with sudden recognition. His eyes widened when he remembered what had happened, the unresolved conflict between them when they had parted…Worst still, he could hear the faint rustling of pages, and knew immediately—without knowing how he knew this—that someone was going through _that _book, the book that must have recorded everything that had gone on between them, all of the pain and hurt he'd caused…He shut his eyes, and tried to think, praying feverishly that it was not Hiei reading it, and hoping against hope that his friend would not hate him after he'd finished.

"Oh, God, Rin…" he whispered, his eyes filled with regret. "I can't believe I'd actually done that to you. If had known what kind of pain I'd inflicted…I'm so sorry, my old friend." Kurama stopped himself and forced his mind to think rationally. What was Rin planning? Was he going to make Kurama watch, helpless, as Rin tortured his friends?

His emotions were affecting him in a way that he'd never experienced before; it was like a sensory overload, with all different feelings going through him at once. As if to throw off his feelings of uncertainty, he shook his head and tried to clear his mind.

_If Rin is planning something against me and my friends, it will be simple. Simple, but brilliant—something that won't hit us until it's too late. That's his style—and, considering what I did, he'll probably go for an ironic end, _he thought, going through all the possible plans he could think of in his mind.

He glanced into the cave, staring at Hiei's hunched form. _He's reading that book, _Kurama realized suddenly. _He's going to find out about what's happened—that's the only possible reason Rin would let Hiei read it. But…how is that going to help Rin? Can he possibly think that Hiei would go against me, merely after reading that book?_

_Impossible, _he thought, dismissing the idea immediately. He knew Hiei too well to think that he would be swayed by a few pages of writing. Hiei would not trust anything completely unless it was proved right in front of him.

_But still, _he thought suddenly, remembering what Koenma had told them about Rin, _Rin's supposed to be some kind of potions master now. Could he be controlling Hiei's judgment? _

He sighed resignedly, overwhelmed by all the possibilities. If he was to prevent Rin from doing what he was planning to do, he needed more information. _I need to see Koenma, _he thought; at least he would finally have something to do besides watch his friend be lured into Rin's trap.

Meanwhile, Hiei, in his own dark corner, was still reading. Most of it didn't make sense, at least not to him. But it would, in time. Of that he was sure, though he hadn't the faintest idea why.

Flicking his gaze through the pages, he wondered what parts of the book he would have to read.

He tapped Rin lightly on the shoulder.

"Which chapters do I have to read?" he asked, in a voice much gentler than his own usually was.

"The ones in the back," Rin answered automatically, not turning. "You'll recognize them well enough—all of them have got pictures of Kurama and me. Parts of them are narration, some dialogue and action, and others sort of diary entries."

Hiei nodded, though he knew that Rin couldn't see.

He went back to the book, finding the pictures of Kurama and Rin with ease. Then, he read:

_Their relationship did not start off romantically, nor was it even a relationship. It was purely a physical thing between them at the time. If they needed comfort or distraction, the two knew they could call on each other. They knew so little about the other that they couldn't name friends or acquaintances. Their "relationship" had no strings attached—exactly the kind that Kurama liked. _

_Kurama brushed his hair to the side, clearing his vision. "Rin?" he called, impatient. "Where are you? You know I don't have much time."_

_Rin emerged from the dense forest, carrying a bag filled with what looked like numerous books. Blowing a wisp of hair from the side of his head, he grinned. "Why are you so impatient, Kurama? I thought you wanted to…talk…" His last words were mumbled against Kurama's lips, his voice breathless._

_The two kissed for what seemed to be hours, but could only be a few minutes. Rin withdrew first, belatedly noticing that he'd dropped his sack on the ground. "Dammit, Kurama, must you always greet me this way?"_

_Kurama merely smirked knowingly._

Hiei skimmed through the pages impatiently, noting that many of them consisted of similar encounters. He stopped short, however, several pages later. From the looks of it, their relationship had become more emotional. Intrigued, he again began to read:

_At this point, their connection to each other meant more to them than they would like to admit. It was a shocking sight to behold, considering the reputations the two had. But still, their attraction—maybe even love—grew. Perhaps, in a different circumstance, they would have had their happily ever after. This, however, is the _Makai _Book of Fairy Tales, and in it, happy endings rarely occur. _

_It was a time of great unrest…_

"_What do you mean, Ayame is about to attack? That's impossible! He can't have nearly enough ammunition to pull off a stunt like this," Kurama said, his cheeks flushed and his eyes blazing. _

_Before him, the servant cowered. "I apologize, Kurama, sir, but this is what they tell me. Your officers thought you should know, since Master Rin and his associates reside in Raizen's kingdom, where Ayame is supposed to attack."_

_Kurama nodded distractedly and dismissed him. "What am I going to do…?" he murmured, not prepared to admit that he was worried about Rin. "There's no time to send a messenger there and warn him; only I am fast enough, and I can't possibly carry all of them to safety."_

_Just then, Kuronue entered. "Trying to figure out how to get Rin safe?" Kuronue smiled, although there was no joy in it. "Please calm yourself, Kurama. I came to tell you that I'd thought about this ahead of time, and there's only one way to guarantee Rin's safety." He paused, letting Kurama absorb the information. "The only problem is...he'll be the only one to survive. With luck, though, he won't be able to remember it."_

Hiei hardly noticed the movement around him, so engrossed was he in his reading. Hiei, normally always alert, was too caught up with the sudden load of information the book seemed to compile about his fox friend. Not only that—he found that he was curious about Rin's past, too. He had gotten it into his muddled brain that Rin was not as bad as he seemed, and this may have been his worst mistake.

He didn't acknowledge the sight of Rin's smiling face, or the empty flask  
Rin held in his hand. He did feel the faint sensation of liquid going through his mouth and down his throat, but he could not be sure. He heard a faint gasp off to his right, so low that he barely heard it. None of these things registered into his mind; he noticed but did not react, not even when a sudden numbing and oddly peaceful mist suddenly seemed to go through his senses.

_In the cover of darkness, Kurama devised a plan. It was daring, selfless, and it was to be the final act that would drive the two star-crossed lovers apart. He was the only one who could get to Rin in time, and could only afford to take one of them to safety. Kuronue, his faithful friend, had a plan laid out for him: for a price, an old potions master would provide them a potion that would temporary dull one's senses and make them forget everything they knew. Kurama would pour the potion in Rin's drink, and would be able to take Rin, and only Rin, without any difficulty. There was, of course, the matter of Rin's reaction after the memory charm wore off; Kuronue and Kurama knew this all too well, but chose to ignore it for the time being. Furious and hurt though Rin may be afterwards, Kurama would not let him be left behind, even for the price of his family and peace of mind._

"_Rin, wake up!" _

_It was an urgent whisper._

"_Please, wake up. Don't stay asleep so long! You're supposed to be okay."_

_Rin awoke to Kurama's voice but saw only Kuronue's face. _

"_I thought I heard Kurama…Is he here?" he asked._

_Kuronue's face was solemn. "He's not here. He told me to tell you that," he hesitated, "he can't ever see you again."_

"_Why?" It was more a demand than a question._

"_Because," Kuronue swallowed, "He says he's busy, and that he's outgrown this little 'affair'." His eyes showed how sorry he was, and Rin resented it. He could not stand to be pitied._

_Rin did not speak for several seconds. His face grew stony, and his eyes were steely. All at once, his demeanor changed from puzzlement to calm anger._

"…_Very well. Thank him, then, for sharing so much of his precious _time _with me. I'll be going as soon as I can be ready."_

_He was so angry and hurt that he did not even question why he was in the small tent, or why it Kuronue, Kurama's closest friend, who had to be with him for this. His pride would not allow him to further question the situation; furthermore, he could not care less._

_Kuronue nodded. As Rin was about to leave the small tent, the dark-haired demon stopped him. _

"_I probably shouldn't be telling you this now, but I think you have a right to know." His voice lowered, "Ayame's army attacked Raizen's kingdom a few days ago," he paused. "There were no survivors."_

_Rin froze, realizing what it meant. So he was here, then, because although Kurama obviously had no more interest in him, he was still being kept safe from Ayame. There, was, however, _he realized, _a punishment, of sorts, for him, hidden subtly in the otherwise caring gesture. _

_The cruel twist in the situation was that although he had been allowed to live, his family had not. It had Kurama written all over it; Kurama loved irony and subtlety, especially when it was something so heartbreakingly painful. Worse still, technically speaking, Kurama had not done anything wrong; he had not physically hurt him or his family. In fact, he had saved him._

_If there was a god of irony, Rin knew he would be there, laughing at Kurama's cruel joke, and at Rin's final farewell._

Hiei turned the page, but the rest of the book appeared to be either blotted or ripped out. There was nothing left of the story; he would never be able to finish it. He frowned, wondering why he felt so let down because of the fact.

"What happened to the rest of it?" he inquired in his usual gruff tone, staring at Rin.

"It was damaged, I suppose. The book is relatively old, and it's been under possession of a great many demons. I guess it was torn or something along the way." Rin seemed unaffected by Hiei's rough demeanor; he merely responded as if they were two friends having a simple conversation. Apparently finished with their "conversation", Rin turned back to the fire, where a small "cauldron" was simmering.

"What is _that_?" Hiei asked, nose wrinkling.

"It's a potion."

"What is it for?"

"_This._" Rin replied, pouring some of it into a small glass bottle and labeling it **Highly Dangerous**. It was an answer to a whole other question, but Hiei chose not to pursue it.

Hiei shrugged and turned back to the book, examining every nook and cranny, looking determined to find any clue that might lead to the conclusion of the story. Unsurprisingly, after a painstaking (if not rather pointless) search, he found none.

"So that's it then," he said, sounding more than a little annoyed. "Kurama saved you but not your family, and didn't want you to know about it; and, since this book was in your possession and it states clearly what Kurama did, you obviously know what he did now. Correct?"

"Basically," Rin nodded. He was occupied with various ingredients and jars that had somehow scattered around him, and he refused to look anywhere but at them.

"So…why are you here? I'm assuming that you're trying to do something to Kurama, most likely bad, so what is it going to be?" Hiei frowned, looking down at the book for the umpteenth time. "There's something missing here. Not just the rest of the story; what's left of it is too sketchy. I mean," he continued, with apparently no regard to who he was speaking to, "why would anyone bother to write all this down? Even if Kurama was a famous thief, why would his relationships, specifically this one, be recorded?"

Hiei stopped, finally recognizing how uncharacteristically he was acting. His little speech had probably been the longest he'd ever spoken to someone in his life, except for Kurama. Worse still, Rin had hurt his sister and kidnapped his friends; there was no plausible reason for him to trust him as he was doing now, and yet he was. Pretending to be absorbed in the book, he prayed that Rin would dismiss his earlier rant to be a side effect of the potion Rin had slipped into his mouth earlier.

Despite what Rin thought, even though Hiei had somehow started trusting Rin (no doubt another one of the effects of Rin's many potions), he was not oblivious to what went on around him. There had been another substance in the tea that Rin had slipped to him; it frustrated the fire demon to no end, because although his mind was working normally (unlike his emotions), his actions would not follow them.

_I've got to figure out a way to get my body to follow common sense, _he thought. _For some reason, I feel like my mind's been split in two—one half is working normally, and the other is following whatever Rin tells me. And that's the half that can control my movements!_

_I'll need more time to think about how I'm going to get out of this mind mix-up. I saw Kurama here earlier…_A light bulb seemed to light up on his head, and he remembered the sound of someone gasping and who it must have come from.

_He must have been here until the time Rin slipped the potion into my mouth while I was reading, because I heard him gasp! It had to have been Kurama—Botan wouldn't risk coming here, and no one else would know about this mission. But…_

Hiei tried to concentrate on finding Kurama's ki, and to his great relief, he had not lost the ability to sense energy. He couldn't control it, of course, but his awareness was there anyway.

_He's not here. Good. He probably went to get Koenma—if that kami can't help us out of this mess, what with all the information he has on the Makai, no one will. _

Settling back on the wall behind him, he sat down and fixed his intense gaze on his two teammates. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten all about them, even if he _was_ under some kind of chemical influence. _Some tantei I am, _he thought disgustedly.

Since there was nothing else to do but wait, he observed as much as he could of his surroundings, not paying any attention to his "captor." Rin was busying himself with his potions and ingredients, and the pile that he had been amassing seemed to have tripled in size. Too absorbed in his task, the demon was not taking any notice of his surroundings.

Satisfied that he would be able to look as he pleased without any disturbances, Hiei started with the nearest corner of the cave.

Kurama panted with effort, and held his side. He wished that he had not left so quickly; he knew now that he had been foolish to have set off at such a fast pace. Now, it would take him even longer to reach Koenma. The communicator that he usually always held with him was not there; it had been left behind in his haste to reach Yusuke and Kuwabara. He cursed himself for making such a foolish mistake.

_I can only hope that Koenma will be there when I come, _he thought desperately. _If I even get there at all._

He made his way through the Makai forest with caution, using his ki to sense outside of the wood. After what seemed hours, he made it through, his face marked with scratches and his clothes torn. Now that he was out of the forest, he only needed to find a place in which he could summon a portal without attracting attention.

Gazing around him, his keen fox eyes spotted an abandoned hut a half mile away. Resolutely, he started to walk towards his destination.

Hiei watched the rise and fall of Yusuke's chest, and noted that his breaths were, fortunately, no more shallow than normal. _Good, _he thought. _At least he won't suffocate or something before we get out of this mess._

Both detectives were slumped against the wall, their chained hands the only things holding them up. Already their wrists were showing welts, a result of the amount of pressure the chains were applying on them. Otherwise, they appeared unhurt.

He kept watching them, looking for signs of consciousness. He found none; Yusuke's raven black hair was falling softly on his face, the gel losing its hold on his hair. It covered most of his eyes, and if he had been awake, he would surely have found it irritating and would try to brush it aside. His clothes were loose and surprisingly clean, for their corner of the cave consisted of more stone than dirt. His jeans appeared a darker blue from the dim light, and his white t-shirt glowed.

Kuwabara seemed in a similar state, except for the fact that he made even more of a picture of discomfort than Yusuke. Because of his tall frame, his legs were bent at an odd angle on the floor, and they were forced to bend halfway. His clothes, a pair of baggy jeans and a white sweatshirt, were rumpled and creased. His head lolled to one side, making him look as if he were sleeping peacefully.

Hiei sighed and tried to look somewhere else. The sight of his friends, so helpless and unprotected, made him feel melancholy. He did not go so far as to think that he felt sorry for them, but there was a certain wrongness, he felt, in the way that they lay there looking so forlorn.

He got up and stretched his legs, yawning like a cat. He blinked his eyes almost sleepily and looked around for Rin. The demon was still going through his large collection of jars and potions, and did not look as if he would be finished soon. Glad that he still had ample time to keep observing, and that Rin was sufficiently distracted, Hiei stood up and walked over to the pile of books in which Rin had recovered the _Makai Book of Fairy Tales._

The books in Rin's small library were all old, torn, and dusty. Most were thickly bound with leather and contained demon languages that even Hiei could not decipher. The others that he could understand were largely books on potion making, and looking through them, Hiei discovered the potion that Rin must have used on him. He did not know why he was so certain that it was the potion, but he was; it was an unshakable feeling, one of such certainty that he knew it could not possible be false. Deciding to read it and try to find out its characteristics (more specifically, how to _remove _its influence), he smoothed out the page and moved further into the shadows, trying not to attract Rin's attention.

The page was worn, faded, and creased, and it was difficult to see the words. However, Hiei found that if he strained, he could see the words in their entirety. Just barely, but it would be enough. Settling down, he read:

_Anictus Quietus:_

_The art of separate heart and mind_

_In concocting this potion, one must be aware of the dire risks and consequences. The essence of this potion is inherently Dark, and such magick can be unpredictable. In addition, said potion is very complicated—only highly skilled potions masters should think to try it._

_Well, _Hiei thought, _at least now I know how good of a potions master Rin is; unless he had someone else make it for him. If that's the case, I think my opinion of him would lower considerably._

Laughing at himself for thinking so dryly, he read on.

_The very core of this potion is the fine line our bodies draw between our minds and our exterior (physical action). Many have studied it; at last, an explanation was found. The invention of this potion followed soon after._

_What the demon had discovered, when trying to uncover the secrets of the brain and body, was that our thoughts and our actions could be separated into two different sources: our actions come from our heart, and thoughts come solely from the brain. The influence of the heart on our actions is indirect, but very distinct; a part of our brains are designed for thought processes and emotions, while the other is designed merely for our actions. When a particular emotion overtakes us, it goes directly to the heart, which consequently influences our reactions. _

_In this delicate balance of thought and action, of emotion and reaction, we each carve unique personalities of our own. The fragile balance is complex and confusing, and few try to understand it. _

_Once this understanding was reached, however, and made concrete, demons were eager to exploit it. Thus, the potion "Anictus quietus" was concocted; it provides the caster to have physical control over a demon's actions by dulling their senses. _

_The potion provides power over demons' hearts, and so only casts an influence on their actions and emotions, but not their thoughts; it "separates heart from mind". The potion preys primarily on the victim's emotions and physical being; their senses dulled, and their emotions complacent, they will be compelled to do as the caster wills. The victim is granted the luxury of thoughts but not actions, and is rendered powerless._

_Note: Anictus quietus is a versatile potion and can be used variously. It must be noted that the most common use of it is to cause the illusion of love, creating a "love potion" that persuades the victim to fall in love with the caster. It is, in fact, the only "love potion" known anywhere; the love potion of fairy tales and legend is rooted to Anictus quietus, and they are one and the same. _

Numbed, Hiei read further, but the pages only seemed to contain the various ingredients and steps required to make the potion. Searching almost desperately, he tried to find any scrap of information that could help flush the potion from his system. There was nothing—absolutely nothing. His mind grew foggy and unfocused; he found that he could not seem to concentrate fully on anything around him. He grew dizzy and tired, very, very, tired. With a sigh, he slumped against the wall and seemed to fall asleep instantly. The book lay forgotten by his side; after a few moments of stillness, the book floated through the air, hovered for a few moments, and landed in Rin's hand. Smirking in a satisfied manner, Rin regarded the demon with a pleased look.

_And to think, I'd thought that the plan wouldn't be enough to trick Kurama and his friends, _he thought. _Now I can see that it was more than enough—in fact, it was too much!_

Laughing silently, he continued with his work, looking through his books and potions supplies as if nothing had happened.

Kurama straightened and stared unwaveringly at the lone, abandoned hut not 10 feet in front of him. It was the perfect place to summon a portal to the spirit world; it was deserted, dark, and isolated. No unsuspecting demon would be able to see him as he prepared to leave the demon world.

Yet he hesitated; he was not so sure, now, that it had been the right decision to leave Hiei and his friends with Rin. _There's no telling what Rin might do to them if I'm not there to stop them, _he thought worriedly. _But then, I didn't exactly intervene or anything there did I? _Laughing tiredly for no reason other than to break the silence, he walked closer to the hut. After all, he supposed, if he was not going to do anything while he was in the cave with them, watching and not doing anything, it would be better for him to go to Koenma and accomplish something useful.

Walking purposefully through the brown, dry grass, the grass crackled beneath his feet as he strode. The sun was setting and glowing a bright orange, and was nothing more than a faint orange semicircle on the horizon. The door creaked--an old, weary, sound, and he peered cautiously into the room.

It was dark and dank, the walls slightly moist from mold and mildew. The ground seemed to be consisting of dirt, but, upon closer inspection, Kurama could see that it was in fact a stone floor; it had been so overcome with dirt and grime that the stone could not be easily distinguished. Stepping lightly into the room, he took a deep breath, and summoned the portal.

In seconds the portal, large, forbidding, and somehow giving off the impression of loudness (although the hut was still shrouded with silence), it emitted faint sparks of black nothingness in the air. Kurama looked around him one more time to make sure that no demon could witness it before stepping into the portal.

He emerged into the spirit world, right outside the gates to Koenma's palace. He went up to the large yellow stone and addressed the oni that must be surveying him from inside, saying, "It's me, Kurama. I have something important to tell Koenma. It's about the mission."

He was allowed in instantly.

Following the oni through the palaces many confusing corridors, he stared aimlessly at the many portraits of Enma and his son. _Wow, _he thought dully. _I guess Koenma isn't the only one with a thing for grandness._

He stopped short when he encountered Koenma's door; it was by far the largest of all the doors in the previous corridors, and the knobs were ornately decorated with artifacts that Kurama could not name.

"Well," Koenma called impatiently from somewhere inside. "You're the one who wanted to talk to me, Kurama. What is it? And why are you alone?"

Kurama entered and noted that Koenma was waiting right beside the door. The prince was in his toddler form, and Kurama was glad; Yusuke and Kuwabara always found his teenage form more comforting, but it tired Koenma out very quickly. He did not want Koenma to feel weary when he might be the only one who could help him.

"It's about the mission," he began. Koenma waved his hand in a dismissing manner, looking impatient.

"Get right to the point, Kurama. I know you're here for a good reason. You have the scent of the Makai on you, and you look like you've just seen a ghost." After a pause, he added, "figuratively, of course. It's obvious that it was something major; else you wouldn't be here in that state. So, out with it. What's happened?"

Kurama nodded, only slightly thrown off that Koenma had caught on so quickly. _I knew he had to be the prince of the spirit world for something more than jus beingt his father's son, _he thought, grinning slightly. Koenma's slight cough brought him back to reality, and he spoke, starting from the beginning.

After a full 20 minutes, Kurama was all talked out, and his throat felt hoarse. He sat on a nearby chair and sank down onto it gratefully, suddenly feeling more weary than he would have thought possible. Koenma regarded him thoughtfully from his seat behind his desk, chewing his pacifier solemnly. Altogether, Kurama thought that he was acting far calmer than he had any right to. He was too worn out to pursue it, however, and he let Koenma continue to gaze around the room in the same contemplative manner.

Minutes of silence passed between them, Kurama somehow forgetting all about time, and the fact that his teammates were still being held captive. It was as if he had entered a time stop when he'd stepped into the office; everything that had happened no longer felt real.

_But it is, _he told himself firmly. _It's very, very, real._

Remembering this made him think of his teammates, and the danger they were in. He stood up and strode all the way in front of Koenma's desk, almost nose to nose with the kami. His green eyes blazed with an indefinable anger. When he spoke, his voice was tight with barely suppressed tension.

"Well?" he asked, never taking his eyes off Koenma's. "Are you just going to sit there and stare, Prince Koenma? No disrespect meant, your highness," his voice indicated otherwise, "but I came here because I thought maybe you could help. I wasn't accomplishing anything while I stayed there watching, and revealing myself would have been too risky. Do you have anything in your archives that might help us, or not?"

Each word was low and enunciated carefully, while the prince and Kurama never once broke eye contact.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Koenma replied calmly.

_**.To be continued**_


	5. Cackle, cackle

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, yeah, I don't own it, please don't sue...I'm already broke enough as it is.  
A/N: I know this was a long time in coming, but I was kind of busy with my recent Harry Potter obssession; and FAKE...and Samurai Champloo...Anyway, this was supposed to be longer, but I just couldn't find the time (or the ideas) to add on to this chapter, and I thought I should update before the few fans of this fic abandoned it Not much action, but you do learn a bit more.

_A Rose By Any Other Name  
Part 5_

_xx_

Kurama regarded him incredulously. His eyes were wide and faintly accusatory, but the young prince did not respond; all he did was gaze back at Kurama with steady eyes, acting as if nothing unusual was taking place.

It was Kurama who spoke first.

"You…you know how to solve this problem?" His voice came out shakier than he'd intended.

"Well…yes. At least, I think I might. There're no guarantees, but if what I have in mind works, then yes, it would solve the 'problem'."

"What do you mean?" Kurama had backed down and settled back into his chair, his hands trembling slightly. He didn't dare hope that it could be this easy; he knew Rin too well. And Koenma, too, for that matter.

"About the potion that Rin gave Hiei—what did it do to him?" Koenma asked, instead of answering Kurama's question.

Kurama rubbed his eyes tiredly and tried to think. "It…lowered his barriers, somewhat. I mean, I could never imagine Hiei just walking into a demon's domain, just like he did, and then start trusting him like that. I knew he must've been influenced by something; or else, I would've thought he'd gone crazy."

Koenma smiled slightly.

"Well, we might have a solution to this problem. It'll be aggravating and dull, probably frustrating, too, but I think we might be able to find something."

"What is it?" Kurama asked, curious and excited, and maybe just a little—hopeful? He was glad that they could finally do something that might add a bit of an advantage on his side; from the way he had seen it, Rin was going to win, game over, Hiei will be lost forever…

He didn't realize that he had been excluding the rest of their team and had instead focused solely on Hiei in this particular train of thought.

But this, he thought. This might actually work, whatever it was. From his experience, Koenma's plans were usually good—in theory—and, while not always working exactly as expected, would still give them the results they were looking for. Sometimes even better. So he had high hopes.

"You know about the dungeons and jails in Spirit World, right?" Koenma asked.

Kurama nodded, thinking back to the time that he, himself, feared the thought of spending a sentence in Spirit World's 'jails'. They were dreadful places, or so he heard.

"Well, we get a lot of interesting demons in these places. They come from all over, you know, and you can learn a bit from them. They know quite a lot. Most of them are old, since our sentences are usually very long, and you can learn a bit. Some of them are even…" he trailed off; his face was suddenly thoughtful, as if he were considering his next words carefully.

"Some of them even display unusual knowledge of potion and spells; ancient ones, so malicious in nature that Mukuro, Raizen, and even Yomi have made them illegal in the Makai."

Kurama finally caught on. "You have a demon that's knowledgeable when it comes to potions?"

"We're not exactly sure—they don't really like to talk to us. But they slip up now and then, and give us advice about some of our more obscure cases, when they forget themselves. From what we've seen, the particular demon we're talking about seems to know a lot about potions, especially old, and usually forbidden, ones. It seems likely that he used to be a potions master in Makai before he ended up here."

"You think he might know what Rin used on Hiei?" Kurama furrowed his brow, trying to think ahead.

"Not just identify it—find an antidote. And, seeing as Rin is so fond of his potions, we might find out what he's planning, too."

"I don't know…" Kurama hesitated. "We'd be taking a big risk, trusting this demon to give us the right information. He could easily decide to double cross us and escape."

"Yes," Koenma said, his face showing a grim determination that was uncharacteristic of him. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take. I can't let Rin take three of my four best detectives, after all. Besides, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei don't deserve whatever it is Rin might have planned for them."

Seeing the prince's resolute face, Kurama found that he had to agree.

"All right," he said decisively. "It may not be the cleverest or the most complicated plan, but at least we've got one. Bring me to his cell."

The two stood up and left the Prince's office, leaving the door slightly ajar—whispering, it seemed, of the unknown ahead, and the safety they'd left behind.

"Tell me, Kurama," Rin said lazily, "how does it feel to lose the people you care about most? To watch them caged and trapped with no way out—and when there's only one path you can take? Really, tell me."

He was drunk; not on alcohol or any other external substance, but on the feeling of delight that had filled him ever since he realized that his plan was going to work. Revenge was sweet. Oh, yes, it was. And now he was sitting on a cavern floor, with nothing but books and potions and three passed out detectives for company. It had only been a matter of time before he cracked and started talking to himself (more specifically, talking to other people, with the partsof the other people filled by him). It was a rather interesting activity to take part in.

Shadows played lazily on the wall across from him, creating vague images that came and went in a second. He watched, fascinated, for a few moments before he shook himself and got up. His face was a mask of bitter defeat—bitterness that, surprisingly, did not hold much rancor/

"What the hell am I doing?" He asked. Predictably, no one answered; there was only silence.

"What the hell am I doing?" He repeated, this time with noticeably less heart. "Did I really think this thing was going to work? That I was going to fool _Kurama_?" He sighed tiredly and raked a hand through his hair. He shut his eyes wearily, shoulders slumping. "I really am crazy," he murmured, sinking back into the floor.

For a while, he just watched the shadows on the wall. Vaguely he remembered sensing Hiei shifting slightly, but he didn't move. He just sat.

And he waited. It was only a matter of time before that damn kitsune showed up, most likely with a complicated and daring plan that he would never see coming, the way only Kurama could. If he searched through his heart, rather thoroughly, he would have been surprised to find that he didn't really mind it. That is, he wouldn't mind if Kurama would beat him in this little escapade. But he, unable to look into his heart, didn't realize it just yet.

So he watched, and waited to see what Kurama would have coming.

He was sure it was going to be good.

Hiei lay, stirring slightly in his unconscious state. He was experiencing a weird in-mind experience, at which he felt as if half of his mind was awake, and the other half was still passed out and senseless. The part of him that was awake urged him to get up, beat Rin to a pulp, and untie his hands (which he had just noticed were bound), not necessarily in that order.

He half-remembered reading something about a potion, and seeing green eyes staring back at him from a dark corner. He also recalled feeling very disconsolate, and very pessimistic. Thankfully, he couldn't remember why. If he had, he'd probably give up trying to do anything altogether.

The half of his brain that was of use decided to try to get his body to move; experimentally, he tried to wiggle his fingers. It occurred to him too late that his eyes were shut, and, therefore, he couldn't tell if he had really wiggled his fingers or not. He growled slightly in the back of his throat (he realized that, as useless as he was now, he could at least _talk _or make noise, which could be help him later on). He was mad and frustrated and feeling quite powerless; it was a new feeling for him, and he didn't like it very much. _Why is it that I don't remember anything 10 minutes before _this _happened? _He thought to himself. _It can't be amnesia because I remember everything else—the kidnapping, Rin, Kurama, the book…_

And suddenly, he remembered. The book of fairy tales; Rin and Kurama's story; the potion. He kind of wished he hadn't remembered. Somehow, he thought it would have been easier that way.

_I can't believe I acted so stupidly—how Rin just lured me in with that line about Yukina. It was so obvious!_

_I really hope Kurama's gone to do something useful. And that the stupid kitsune was smart enough to think of a plan. _

He tried to think of a possible way to get out of the binds that Rin had put on him—upon examination, he found that his eyes were blindfolded (obviously), his hands and feet were very tightly bound, and that he appeared to be sitting against a wall. Overall, it wasn't a very good situation to be in; at least, if you were human and didn't possess any powers. Luckily, Hiei was a demon, and a powerful one. He didn't really think that his fire would work, since Rin would have taken precautions for it, but he decided to try anyway. It at least gave him something to do. After a few experimental tries, he concluded that he had guessed right—whatever Rin had done to the ropes, they wouldn't let him do anything with his powers.

It didn't occur to him that maybe it wasn't charms that held him back, but the potion that controlled his actions and his will; the nature of the potion itself would try to prevent him from trying to escape. It stirred within his veins, still active but slowly losing some of its hold on him. Hiei's thoughts were focused on his current predicament, however, and he didn't notice, or note, any of these things.

_That kitsune had better have something planned, _he thought grimly. _Or else all three of us will probably never get out of this cave._

"So, Koenma," Kurama started complacently as they walked by the cells of the Makai prison. "What exactly do you know about this demon?"

Koenma hesitated slightly, and he chewed his pacifier in a thoughtful manner. "Not much, to be honest. We don't know much about the regular dealings of demons in the Makai to begin with; we only pick up enough to identify the most infamous or notorious criminals. Like you."

Kurama chuckled. "Well, if you hadn't heard of me back in those days, I think I would've been very offended," he said, looking around him curiously as they passed through the prison's maze of hallways. "Do these hallways _ever_ end?" he thought aloud, looking intrigued.

Koenma grinned. "We think so, although no one has ever been able to prove that—and come back alive, at least."

Kurama grimaced in response. "I think even I would've had a hard time getting out of these hallways—not that I couldn't," he ended in a slightly smug tone.

"You were a bit of a show-off back then, weren't you?" Koenma said teasingly. "Considering how much you encouraged talk about you, it was kind of hard not to take notice."

They stopped at a small fork in the corridor; Kurama realized belatedly just how dark and foreboding it suddenly seemed in the hallway. He sincerely hoped it wasn't a sign.

Koenma considered the two paths for a moment, before walking toward the right and motioning for Kurama to follow. They walked in companionable silence for a while, before Kurama broke the silence, picking up their conversation where they'd left off.

"I _was _pretty full of myself, wasn't I?" he said in a self-mocking tone.

He and Koenma laughed. "It feels weird, sometimes, to think of how I was back then and how much I've changed."

"Forgive me for saying it, but I think I like you better now than before," Koenma said dryly.

Kurama smiled for a second, and then sobered. "If you don't mind, I think maybe we should talk about our situation." He paused for a second, looking down the hallway, before adding, "I'd like to be prepared when I meet the prisoner."

"Yes, I guess you're right," Koenma answered, walking a bit faster than before. Kurama cast him a surprised glance, but he didn't question him, and merely quickened his pace as well.

"So," he said casually, walking side by side with the prince, "what is it that you know about this particular demon?"

Koenma shrugged. "Just the basics, really—he was convicted of theft, though we're sure he's committed worse crimes."

His dark face indicated what kind of 'crimes' he meant. Kurama looked around anxiously, staring at the stone wall on his right and wondering what would be in store for both of them. Their steps echoed in the large hallway, and, turning back, he realized again how easy it could be to get lost in the prison's hallways. The thought of it made him shiver, and he almost missed the beginning of Koenma's response.

"He looks very old, and you know what that means for a demon—he's probably a few thousand years old, considering how long their life spans are. He's also got a bit of a—_strange _sense of humor. From what I recall, he has what humans call 'dry wit'." Koenma rambled on and on, listing the various characteristics and idiosyncrasies he'd managed to find out about the demon.

Kurama listened with half an ear, noting interesting facts here and there, but otherwise tuning out most of the prince's speech. During Koenma's long rant, he noticed that the cells that were situated on the sides of the corridors, which were usually close together, were placed farther apart in this area of the prison; it must have taken them hours to get this far. Taking a closer look, he thought that there was about 20 feet of space in between each one. Curious, he asked Koenma about it.

"I noticed that the farther we go in, the more space there is between each cell—why is that?" His voice was quietly observant, almost casual.

Koenma looked startled. "Oh, that's because only the oldest prisoners are kept this far inside. After all, the younger demons are usually the ones we have to watch out for; we keep them in the front, where we can see them easily. And the cells here are larger than most because the demons are old and haven't committed any crimes in years, so we give them a break and let them have more space." The end of his explanation was met with thoughtful silence, and Kurama gazed thoughtfully in front of him.

"This demon—the one that we're meeting; what exactly is his name?" He asked softly.

"His name is Takeda," said a wheezing voice to his right, and both of them froze. Slowly, both of them turned. There was the demon Takeda, standing behind the bars of his cell, ragged but looking smug. "It's about time you got here. I've been expecting you." He grinned, a knowing look in his eye.

_xx_

Reviews are very much appreciated; and loved XD


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